Material handling mechanism



Oct. 12, H 'E MULLER SR Q MATERIAL HANDLING MECHANISM Filed May 11, 1942 s sheets-sheet 1 y g p Q w ikw mm m\ INVENTORI 6279 74 5 Maui/6.62

Oct. 12, 1943. H, MULLER, SR 2,331,416

MATERIAL HANDLING MECHANISM I Filed May 11, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIEA. PIE. 5; FIG. 5.

INVENTVOR: HEPMfl/V' A. M041. [E 5/8 SATTOR Patented Oct. 12, 1943 MATERIAL HANDLING MECHANISM Herman E. Muller, Sr., Swissvale, Pa. Application May 11, 1942, Serial No. 442,531

16 Claims. (011105-157) In accordance with the present invention, there is provided automatically operable means for holding in an upright position, for transfer, in-

spection handling, or the like, bodies of various cross sections and low stability of equilibrlum.

Although the invention is by no means of limited applicability, it will be described specifically herein as applied to the transportation of metal ingots preparatory to rolling thereof into sheets. Other applications of the invention, however, will become apparent as the construction thereof is described hereinafter, and it will be seen, generally, that the construction of the present invention is applicable generally to the handling of shapes of materials, or bodies, that are substantially longer than thick, and which, by consequence, are of themselves in unstable equilibrium when in a vertical position with the long dimension upright.

With reference, however, to handling metal ingots, it is necessary to transfer the ingot perhaps several times between the casting station and the rolls. In casting the ingots, the molds in common use are tall, box-like shapes made of cast iron. When the ingots ar cooled sufliciently, the molds are stripped from the ingots, which ingots afterbeing thus stripped are charged in upright position into the soaking pits. This charging in upright position into the soaking Pits is necessitated by two reasons. First, the best practice forfthe care of ingots demands that they be stripped as soon as possible after the pouring and delivered to the soaking pits before they lose much of their original heat, because the hotter they are charged, the quicker they reach the rolling temperature. In practice, most ingots reach the pits while their central positions are still molten, and, therefore, must stand in an upright position until this portion has become solid, as otherwise the extent of the pipe in the ingot may become increased, and its position would be changed. Second, by charging ingots vertically; more surface for ingress and egress of heat is exposed to the atmosphere of the soaking furnace, thus causing them to come to a uniform temperature for rolling much more quickly than would be the case if they wer placed in any other way.

Consequently, in the transfer of the ingots, for avoiding displacement of the molten interior of the ingots, as well as to reduce the amount of handling in the transfer thereof, they are lifted vertically by a crane and placed in vertical position on the transfer cars and buggies. Because of the unstable equilibrium, care must be exercised during the transfer against overturning and the presence of a workman on or near the transfer cars has been required to supervise and to guard the transfer transit, and this man is subjected to considerable hazard because of the instability of the ingots.

One of the objects of the present invention is to eliminate this hazard-by providing mechanism automatically operable responsively to the placing of an ingot on a transfer car for clamping the ingot in stable equilibrium, whereby the ingot is held positively against any substantial displacement from its vertical position on the transfer car,.thereby relieving the necessity of the presence of a workman on or near the cars during the transfer.

Further objects of the invention willbecome apparent as the description proceeds and the features of novelty will be pointed out in particularity in the appended claims.

The invention will be understood more readily from a consideration of the accompanying drawings which show an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an ingot transfer car embracing the features of the present invention, portions of the structure being broken away, the view indicating the movement of clamping arms adapted to carry the ingot;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the car of Fig. 1, portions of the structure being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the car of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the clamping arms of the apparatus, showing a modified form of-actuating means;

Fi 5 is a fragmentary end sectional elevation, taken on the line V-V of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing further modifications of actuating means;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Figs. 4 and 6, showing further modified actuating means;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of an ingot car assembly similar to Fig. 1 but showing a still further modified form of actuating mechanism;

Fig. 9 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of pull-back mechanism illustrated in Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of the mechanism of Fig. 9, showing the interior construction of the mechanism;

Fig. 11 is an elevation partly in section of a modified form of pull-back mechanism as shown in Fig. 8, the view showing the position of the mechanism when no load is on the jaws; and

Fig. 12 is a View similar to Fig. 11, but showing the mechanism of Fig. 11 in the position it takes when the apparatus of the invention is loaded.

While the invention is illustrated and described herein with particular reference to the transfer of ingots about a steel mill, for examle, it will'be apparent from the hereinafter description that theinvention is adapted to the holding of any kind of body or workpiece that is in vertical position and in unstable equilibrium,

and that the invention actually is of general application.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, A represents a platform, such as the platform of an ingot car, which is mounted on wheels B running on track rails C.

Mounted on platform A are a pair of clamping jaw-arms |5, H, which are shaped as shown in the drawings, and which are turnable on trunnions l9, 2| mounted in the sides of the platform A, the trunnions passing through each of the bases 23, 25 of the arms l5, H. The base portions 23 and 25 may comprise spaced bracket portions 21, 29 extending from the arms I5, IT, a seat member 3| bridging the brackets 2|, 2|' and a similar seat member 33 bridging the brackets 29, 29'. At the end of the brackets 29 and 29 are similar sloping slots 35, 31, and when assem- .bled the bracket 21 is overlapped by bracket 29 and bracket 21' overlaps bracket 29', so that a pin 39 will be received in the slot 35, a similar pin 39' also passing through registering slot 31 in the bracket 29, so that the ends of the respective brackets are interconnected in a plane nor mally above the plane of .the trunnions l9 and 2|, when the seats are empty, but which brackets, when loaded, are depressed by the weight of the load until the interconnectin plane may become below the plane of the trunnions.

It will be seen, therefore, that the jaw-arms l and II are interconnected by their base brackets 21, 23 and 21' 23', through means of slots 35, 31, together with the pins 39, which operate in the slots and that the resulting structure forms a toggle, the brackets 21, 29, 21' 29' forming one side of the toggle and the arms l5 and H the other side, so that when a load is placed on the seats 3|, 33, the brackets 21, 21' and 29, 29 are depressed until the connecting pins 39 are moved from a position above the horizontal center line of the trunnions |9,.2| to a'position below this center line, so that the arms l5, I! are moved on their trunnions so as to approach one another responsively to an ingot or other workpiece being placed upon the seats. until the arms |5, |1 engage and hold the said workpiece, this holding being facilitated by cradle members 4| and 43, which are mounted on the ends of arms |5, |1 respectively for engaging and retaining the workpiece against lateral displacement during transportation thereof.

Either of the arms l5 and I1 is provided with a suitable counterweight which acts to pull the arms back into open position responsively'to the ingot or workpiece being lifted off the seats 3|, 33, and stops 41, 49 preferably are provided for cushioning and limiting the end of the opening movement of the jaws.

The stop and counterweight devices may be of various types. Thus, in Figs. 4 and 5 the counterweight 45 is shown as engaging a wedge-type of stop 5|, which is' adjustable by means of a screw wedge 5| is mounted on the screw 52 so that it will travel along the screw as the latter is turned.

In Fig. 6, as the counterweight 45 pulls the arm I5 into open position, it engages a plunger 59 of a stop 6| which operates similarly to the wellknown door check. The stop 6| is shown as being mounted in the platform of the car by means of an annular flange 63.

Fig. 7 shows a modification whereintwo combined spring pull-backs and stops are employed instead of the counterweight 45, for opening the jaws.

One of the spring pull-backs is shown in Fig. 7 with the detailed construction thereof shown in Figs. 9 and 10.

It will be seen that each of the spring pullbacks includes a housing 65, which is connected ,at 61 to a hinge bracket 69 on the platform of the car, which bracket may be either stationary or movable for adjustment by means of an adjusting screw, not shown, or other suitable instrumentalities. The housing contains a plunger rod II which is somewhat shorter than the housing 65, and which supports a coil spring 13 which fits snugly in the housing. The inner end of plunger rod H is provided with a collar 15, which slidably engages the interior of the housing 65. The outer end of the plunger rod H is threaded, as is shown at IT, for receiving a connecting yoke 79 for connecting the rod H with abracket 8| on jaw I5, the yoke 19 being shownas engaging an end closure 83 of the housin 65. The opposite end of the housing 65 is shown as being closed by closure member 85, a coil spring 81 of the same diameter as the spring 13 but shorter and weaker being shown as being inserted in the housing 65 between the plunger head 15 and the stop 85, so that as the plunger rod 1| is moved to the left, as viewed in Fig. 10, the spring 13 is compressed between the plunger head 15 and closure 83, while the spring 81 expands as the head 15 moves.

Since the spring 81 is shorter than the spring '13, it will be weaker than spring 13, but, nevertheless, as the spring 13 pulls the jaw |5 back into open position, the spring 81 brakes the movement of the plunge. head 15, thereby cushioning the movement of the jaws, as will become apparent from the drawings.

In the foregoing modifications of the construction, the positive jaw-opening means may be applied to only one of the jaws, whether the means be the counterweight Or the spring pull-back. This is because the positive actuation of one of the jaws is transmitted to the other through the pin-and-slot connection between the jaws. This pin-and-slot connection is so arranged that the motion between the jaws l5 and H is equalized, as is also the performance of the jaws, quite regardless of possible one-sided contact of the in got, or other workpiece on the seats 3|, 33, which uneven contact may be caused frequently by unevenness of the bottom end of the ingot or other workpiece.

In Fig. 8, however, both jaws 5 and H are acted upon positively to assure equal actuation thereof upon removal of the load. In this view, combined spring pull-back and stop mechanism indicated generally at 39, are connected to the jaws I5 and I! through hinge brackets 93 and 95. a pair of which is on each of the laws.

The pull-back mechanism includes a rod 91, which is sufficiently long to extend beneath both of the jaws l5, l1 and beyond the hinge brackets 93, 95. On this rod 91 suitably spaced so as to be substantially coincident with the brackets 93 handled within the range of sizes for which aand 95 are collars 99, IOI, in which'are positioned the connecting pins I03, I05, I 01 and I 09, which are received in the respective pairs of brackets 93 and 95. The ends of the rod 91 are threaded, a washer H5, I I! being positioned on a sleeve H9, I2I which is slipped over the rod adjacent to the threaded ends and which extends part way from the ends of the rod towards the collars 99, IUI. The sleeves H9, I2I are held on the rod in a slip fit therewith by means of nuts I23 and I25, threaded on the threads I I I, H3 and locked by lock nuts I21, I29.

Between each washer H5, H1 and the respective collars 99, IOI is inserted a coil spring I3I, I33, each of which is received in a tubular seat I35, I 31extendi'ng from the collars 99, ll. These springs, therefore, are retained on the rod 91 between the spring abutment washers H5, H1, and the tubular seats I35, I31; the amount of compression of the springs I3I, I33, may be adjusted by adjustment of the nuts I23, I21, I25 and I29.

Also positioned on the rod 91 are collars I39,

I4I, which are intermediate the collars 99, IBI,

and which are of smaller diameter. These collars I39, I4I, are adjustably held on the rod 91 by means of set screws I43, I45. The outer portions of these collars are enlarged, thereby forming a shoulder I41, I49 on each, and on which sleeve members I5I, I53 are received. These sleeve members telescope into complementary sleeve mmbers I55, I57, which are secured to the collars 99, IBI respectively, and each of the sleeve members I5I, I53 contains a coil bufier spring as is shown at I 59, and I6I, these springs being compressed respectively between collars 99, I39 and I4I and II. The amount of compression of the buffer springs depends upon the adjustment of the collars I39 and MI an abutment sleeve I63 being provided, however, to prevent too great a displacement of the collars I39, I4I away from the collars 99, "ll.

When an ingot, or other load, is placed on seats BI, 33, and the jaws I5, I! are'moved thereby to holding positions, the parts of the pull-back mechanism are shifted from the position shown in Fig. 11 to the position shown in Fig. 12, with the end springs I3I and I33 compressed, and the bufier springs I59, IBI expanded. When the load is removed from the seats, springs I3I and I33 are released to expand, this expansion rocking the jaws I5 and I1 backwards on the trunnions I9, 2| to open position, and against the action of the buffer springs I59, I6I, which cushion this return movement in proportion to the strength and compression adjustment of the buffer springs.

It will be seen that the seats, or saddles-3|, 33, are positioned and spaced in such manner as to take care of all sizes of workpieces that may be expected to be handled between, and in-- cluding, maximum and minimum sizes. Also, as will be seen from the drawings, spaces are provided on both sides of the seats to permit any loose matter to drop through. Likewise, it will be seen from the drawings the seats 3i, 33 have rounded tops to provide a center guide for smaller workpiece sizes and to secure a better contact with the workpiece, in the event of the latter having rough or deformed-body ends.

given apparatus is designed.

Except for the crane operator, no additional labor is needed for the handling of workpieces by the equipment of this invention. In the case where hot bodies, such as ingots, are being handled, no person needs to go near the hot zone.

' From the foregoing, it wil1 be apparent that the apparatus of the present invention comprises a pair of hell cranks having a'sliding interlock between them, one arm of each bell crank being the relatively long, substantially' vertical clamping jaw, and the other arm being the short, substantially horizontal or acutely inclined seat arm, the two interconnected bell cranks defining the toggle described above, the short arms of each bell crank being so disposed as to become depressed under the weight of the ingot seated on seat or saddle, members 3I, 33, thereby causing the cooperating clamping jaw arms to rock on trunnions I9 and 2| into clamping engagement'with the ingot, the said clampingjaw arms thereby being held firmly by the weight of the ingot; whereas upon lifting the said ingot from the seats, the counterweights on the long clamping jaw arms of the bell cranks, or,the equivalent spring pull-backs, operate to rockmthe clamping jaw arms on the trunnions ing jaws mounted on the trunnions and extending upwardly therefrom, closing means for the jaws intermediate the said jaws and operable responsively to vertical application thereto of a body of material being handled of sufficient weight tocause a shifting of the jaws from open The apparatus of the present invention permits the handling of a wide range of sizes of material to. be handled. No adjustment of any kind is needed when changing sizes of material being position to closing .position for holding the said body firmly in clamped position responsively to application of the weight of the said body to the closing means, the said body being sufficiently large to span the said means and sufficiently small to be applied to the said means vertically between the clamping jaws, and means operable responsively to vertical lifting of the weight of the body from the closing means for returning the jaws to open position,

2. Material handling mechanism comprising the combination with a mounting iioor, of trunnion members turnably mounted on. the floor, a pair of cooperating upstanding clamping means mounted on the trunnions and adapted to rock thereon, between open position and cooperating clamping position, each of the clamping means including a relatively long upstanding, approximately vertical clamping arm, and a relatively short bracket arm disposed at an acuteangle with the said long arm, the said bracket arms when unloaded extending above a horizontal plane coincident with the center line of the trunnion members and together defining a seat for receiving vertically an elongated body of the material to be handled, and a positive sliding interlock between the said short bracket arms, whereupon responsive to vertical placement of the said body .of material upon them the short arms become depressed into a substantially horizontal position in a plane parallel to andapproaching the said plane of the center lines of the trunnions, thereby causing the clamping arms to close into holding engagement with the body.

3. Material handling mechanism comprising the combination with a mounting floor, of trunnion members turnably mounted on the floor, a pair of cooperating clamping means mounted on the trunnions and adapted to rock thereon between open position and cooperating clamping position, each of the clamping means including a relatively long, upstanding clamping arm, and a relatively short load'recciving arm disposed at an angle to the long arm suitable for receiving a load, the short load-receiving arm of one of the pair of clamping means extending substantially into engagement with the short load-receiving arm of the other clamping means of the pair thereof, the saidshort load-receiving arms normally extending above a horizontal plane coincident with the center line of the trunnion members, the said arms cooperating to form a seat for a body of the material to be handled, a positive sliding interlock connecting the said arms, whereupon, responsive to vertical placement of the said body of material upon them,

the arms depress under the resulting load into a substantially horizontal position in a plane parallel to and approaching the said plane of the center line of the trunnions, thereby causing the relatively long upstanding clamping arms to rock on the trunnions into holding engagement with the said body for holding the said body in upright position, and means for returning the clamping means to open position when the said body is unloaded.

,4. Material handling mechanism comprising the combination with a mounting floor, of trunnion members turnably mounted on the floor, a pair of cooperating clamping means mounted on the trunnions and adapted to rock thereon between open position and cooperating clamping position, each of the clamping means including a relatively long, approximately vertically upstanding clamping arm and a relatively short load-receiving arm disposed at an acute angle to the long arm suitable for receiving a load and extending in the same vertical plane with the clamping arms, the short arm of one of the clamping means of the pair extending substantially into engagement-with the short arm'of the other clamping means, the said short arms normally extending above a horizontal plane coincident with the center line of the trunnion members, the said arms cooperating to form a seat for an elongate body of the material to be handled, the said body of material being normally in condition of unstable equilibrium when the said body i placed unsupported on an end on a substantially level surface, a sliding interlock connecting the said arms, whereupon, responsive to vertical placement of the said body of material upon them, the said arms shift under the resulting load into a substantially horizontal position in a horizontal plane approximately parallel to and approaching the said plane of the center line of the trunnions, thereby causing the relatively long, upstanding clamping arms to rock on the trunnions into holding engagement with the said body as the body is placed vertically endways on the said seat for holding the normally vertically unstable body in stable vertical position, and means operable responsively to removal of the load from the said arms to return the clamping means to open position.

5. Material handling mechanism comprising the combination with a mounting floor, of trunnion members turnably mounted on the floor, a pair of cooperating clamping means mounted on the trunnions for movement between open and holding positions, each of the means being a bell crank-like member having a relatively long, approximately vertically upstanding clamping arm and a relatively short load-receiving arm extending from the clamping arm at a suitably acute angle thereto and in the same vertical plane therewith for receiving a load, the short arm of one of the bell crank-like members cooperating with the short arm of the other bell crank-like member to form a seat for the load, the short arms of the said members being so disposed that a relatively slight depressive movement of the bell crank-like members on the trunnion, under the weight of the load, causes the said clamping arms to move towards each other into clamping engagement with the said load, means for causing the said clamping arms to open away from each other responsively to lifting the load from the said seat, and a positive sliding interlock positively connecting the short arms and disposed to synchronize the angular movement'of the bell crank-like members to assure even simultaneous coordinated movement thereof responsive to vertical application of the load to the said short arms and removal of the load therefrom as the clamping arms move between open and holding positions.

6. Material handling mechanism comprising the combination with a mounting floor, of trunnion members turnably mounted on the floor, a pair of cooperating clamping means mounted on the trunnions for movement between open and holding positions, each of the clamping means being a bell crank-like member having a relatively long, upstanding clamping arm and a relatively short, upstanding load-receiving arm extending from the clamping arm at an angle suitable for receiving a load vertically placed thereon, the short arm of one of the bell crank-like members cooperating with the short arm of the other bell crank-like member to form a seat for the load, the said short arm being so disposed that a relatively slight angular movement of the bell crank-like members on the trunnions responsive to vertical application of the load to the said seat and removal of the load therefrom, causes corresponding shifting of the clamping arms between open position and clamping position in engagement with the ingot, a positive sliding interlock positively connecting the said short arms and disposed to synchronize the angular movement of the bell cranklike members to assure even, simultaneous coordinated movement thereof from open position to the clamping position responsive to the vertical application of the load thereon, the weight of the load on the seat and said short arms maintaining the clamping arms into clamping engagement with the load, the sliding interlock likewise producing simultaneous coordinated synchronized movement of the clamping arms from clamping position to open position responsive to removal of the load from the seat and short arms, and means continuously effective throughout the movement of the said bell crank-like members for positively returning the said members to open position upon removal of the said load, the load acting in a vertical direction when carried by the members to maintain instrumentalities complementary to one another,

adapted to transmit motion of one of the clamping members to the other of the said members.

8. lngot-handling mechanism comprising, in combination, a mounting fioor, a pair of cooperating clamping members pivotally mounted on the mounting fioor in fixed spaced-apart relation, positive interlocking means connecting the said members together, means causing a shifting of the clamping members from open position to holding position on the ingot responsively to placement of an ingot on the said members, and

means on the said members assuring return thereof to open position, the said means being operable immediately responsive to removal of the ingot from the said members, the interlocking means including complementary interconnected devices adapted to slide relative to each other responsive to movement of the clamping members and to transmit the movement of one of the said clamping members to the other of the said clamping members, thereby assuring equal and synchronized movement between the said clamping members.

9. Ingot-handling mechanism comprising, in

combination, a mounting fioor, a pair of clamping members pivotally mounted on the mounting floor in fixed. spaced-apart relation, a positive sliding interlock therefor; and means causing a shifting of the clamping members from open toingot-holding position responsively to placement of an ingot on the said members, the said members, when considered independently of the ingot placed thereon, being in a condition of unstable equilibrium when in ingot-holding position, the said unstable equilibrium acting to return the clampingmembers to open position responsively to removal of the ingot from the members, the sliding interlock including a slot in one of the clamping members and a pin in the said slot mounted in the other clamping member and adapted to slide relative to the slot responsive to movement of the clamping members, the said pin and slot interlock being adapted to transmit the movement of one of the said clamping members in an equal amount to the other of the said clamping members, thereby producing an even and synchronized movement between the said clamping members.

'10. Material handling mechanism comprisin in combination, a mounting fioor, a pair of cooperating bell crank clamping members pivotally mounted on the fioor in fixed spaced-apart relation, a sliding interlock positively connecting the said members, means causing a shifting of the clamping members from open position to holding position in engagement with a body of material responsively to vertical placement of the said body on the said members, and means on the said members assuring return thereof to open position, the said means being operable immediately responsive to removal of the said body from the said members, and comprising a counterweight positioned on one of the said clamping members to pull the said member back into open position, the interlock between the members including a slot in one of the said clamping members sloping in the direction of movement of the said members and a pin mounted in the other of the clamping members operating in the said slot and adapted to slide relatively thereto responsive to movement of the clampinglmembers,- the said interlock transmitting resulting movement of the said clamping member equally to the other clamping member, thereby producing an even, coordinated motion of'both members.

11. Material handling mechanism comprising,

in combination, a mounting floor, a pair of cooperating bell crank clamping members pivotally mounted on the floor in fixed spaced-apart relation, a positive sliding interlock positively connecting the said members, means causing a shifting of the clamping members from open position to holding position in engagement with a body of material responsively to placement of the said body on the members, and means on the members assuring return thereof to open position, the said means being operable immediately responsive to removal of the said body from the said members and comprising pull-back spring and stop mechanism interconnected with one of the clamping members to pull the said member back intoopen position, the interlock between the members transmitting equally the resulting movement of the said member to the other member, thereby producing an even, coordinated movement of both members.

12. Material handling mechanism comprising,

in combination, a mounting fioor, a pair of cooperating approximately vertically upstanding bell crank clamping members pivotally mounted on the fioor in fixed spaced-apart relation, a sliding interlockpositively connecting the said members, means causing a simultaneous shifting of the clamping members in a vertical plane from open position to holding position in engagement with a body of material responsively to vertical placement of the said body on the members, and means acting on the membersassuring return thereof to open position, the said means being operable immediately responsive to removal of the said body from the said members, and comprising pull-back spring and stop mechanism interconnected with the said members, the sliding interlock being adapted to transmit equal and corresponding motion from one of the clamping members to the other, thereby producing positive and simultaneous equal coaction at all times between the said clamping members throughout the entire extent of movement thereof.

13. Material handling mechanism comprising, in combination, a.car body, a pair of cooperating bell crank clamping members pivotally mounted on the car body in fixed spaced-apart relation, a positive sliding interlock positively connecting the said members, means associated with the interlocking means adapted to cause a shifting of the clamping members from open position to holding position in engagement with a body of material responsively to placement of the said bodyon the members, and means acting on the members to assure return thereof to open position, the said means being operable immediately responsive to removal of the said body, and comprising combined pull-back spring members, thereby cushioning the said movement and avoiding abruptly sudden stopping of the members at the end 'of the opening movement.

14. A transfer car for handling hot ingots, comprising the combination with a car body, of a pair of pivotally mounted bell crank clamping members carried by the body and adapted to hold an ingot placed thereon, a positive sliding interlock positively interconnecting the members, one arm of said members defining means for causing a shifting of the clamping members from open to ingot-holding position responsively to placement of an ingot on the said means, and seat devices on the means for receiving the in got, the seat devices having ingot-engaging surfaces disposed for rolling contact with the ingot for automatically, assuring even placement of the ingot with respect to the clamping members during seating and clamping of the ingot.

15. A transfer car for handling hot ingots, comprising the combination with a car body, of a pair of pivotally mounted bell crank clamping members carried by the body and adapted to i interconnecting the members, one arm of said members defining means for causing a shifting of the clamping members from open to ingotholding position responsively to placement of an ingot on the said means, and spaced seat devices on the means for receiving the ingot, the said seat devices being so disposed as to receive any size of ingot between maximum and minimum size limits for which the car is designed to handle, the seat devices having ingot-engaging surfaces so disposed as to produce a rolling contact with the ingot for automatically assuring even placement of the ingot with respect to the clamping members during seating and clamping of the ingot.

-16. A transfer car for handling hot ingots, comprising the combination with a car body, of a pair of pivotally mounted bell crank clamping members carried by the body and adapted to hold an ingot placed thereon, a sliding interlock interconnecting the members, one arm of said membersvdefining means for causing a shifting of the clamping members from open to ingotholding position responsively to placement of an ingot on the said means, and spaced seat devices on the means for receiving the ingot, the seat devices being provided with lateral spaces defining outlets for any loose material associated with the ingots, the seat devices having ingot-engaging surfaces so disposed as to produce a non-sliding contact with the ingot for automatically assuring even placement of the ingot with respect to the clamping members during seating and clamping of the ingot.

HERMAN E. MULLER, SR. 

